PM deserves applauding

Published:09:34Thursday 03 November 2016

Only a few weeks ago local and national Labour politicians were heavily critical of the Conservative Government for the PM not mentioning Nissan by name when referencing the automotive industry. They claimed that the Conservatives had abandoned Nissan and Sunderland.

Sunderland Labour MP Julie Elliott was quoted in the Guardian on October 11 as saying: “Terrifyingly, the future of Sunderland’s Nissan plant has been jeopardised.”

In the letter to PM Teresa May, Ms Elliott added: “This is not a political issue but a practical matter concerning the future of UK manufacturing, a sector of strategic significance to our economic security. I urge you to take immediate action to address these issues in order to protect my region and prevent UK manufacturing being eliminated.”

Now that Nissan has announced not only its plans to stay but to build two new vehicle models, the Government is being criticised by Labour for helping Nissan to make that decision. How very strange.

Some of the comments being passed are quite startling. However, it is clear this criticism is to serve Labour’s own political ends. After all they have spent decades trying to demonize the Conservatives.

Why can they not put the people employed by Nissan and in the supply chain before their political posturing. If they had looked at the number of people employed by Nissan and in the supply chain and a conservative estimate of the average wage in the industry, they would see Nissan pumps about £768millon per year into local wage packets.

Once again the Labour MPs have demonstrated they are out of tune with their constituents. Labour got it wrong on leaving the EU and now they want to see it fail. Why can’t Labour talk up the UK? Given this is in the so-called Labour heartland they should be shouting the loudest. The fact they aren’t applauding the PM’s efforts will be long remembered.